Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
Staff Engagement and Empowerment (motivating staff / teamwork / work revamp tackling manpower issue / staff wellness / OSH / retention)
Proposed Topic (Second preferred): :
Clinical Safety and Quality Service II (Projects aiming to enhance clinical safety and outcomes, clinical governance / risk management)
Authors (including presenting author) :
CHEUNG HT (1), (4), TSOI SCT (1)(3), LEUNG YKN (1)(2)
Affiliation :
(1) Nethersole Clinical Simulation Training Centre, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (2) Department of Intensive Care, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (3) Nursing Services Division, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (4) Department of Occupational Therapy, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital
Introduction :
Acquiring clinical expertise can be a challenge in the fast-paced healthcare environment where effective patient care requires not only mastery of specific knowledge and procedural skills but also communication, coordination, and critical thinking. AH simulation training provides a safe and effective way for healthcare professionals to gain hands-on experiences in a high-fidelity environment without posing any risk to patients, facilitating the development and refinement of critical thinking, clinical decision-making, and communication skills via active participation and sharing in post-scenario debriefing for consolidating good practice.
Objectives :
To assess the training needs of allied health (AH) professionals and the benefits of simulation training.
Methodology :
In 2021-22, the Nethersole Clinical Stimulation Training Centre (NCSTC) ran pilot simulation training programs for both clinical and non-clinical scenarios for AH professionals. In the clinical-related simulation training, one physiotherapy-specific simulation training, one in-situ simulation training for occupational therapists, and one joint AH simulation training (including PT, OT, MSW, and P&O) were conducted. These programs focused on enhancing clinical skills and improving collaboration among AH professionals to improve patient care outcomes. Simulation training was not limited to institutional setting. One simulation training for home outreach AH service team (including PT, OT, MSW, P&O, dietetics, and speech) was conducted. This program focused on improving communication, coordination, and teamwork in collaborative approach in handling emergencies conditions.
Result & Outcome :
Measurement of Improvement:
In clinical-related simulation trainings, there were 7 participants joined the physiotherapy specific simulation training and the overall satisfaction of the course was 5.71 out of 6. In occupational therapy in situ simulation training, 42 participants reflected their overall satisfaction of the course was 5.68 out of 6. Nine participants joined the joint AH (PT, OT, MSW and P&O) simulation training, their overall satisfaction of the course was 5.5 out of 6. For joint AH (PT, OT, MSW, P&O, dietetic and speech) non-clinical-related simulation training, 10 participants showed their overall satisfaction of the course was 4.9 out of 6. Lessons Learned:
The development of AH simulation training is a rewarding journey, despite it is still in the development stage. It is important to note that development should not focus on one area alone, requires various forms of support to enhance its success.
Way Forward:
In the future, collaboration with AH with other professionals can further enhance the effectiveness, like co-joint AH professionals with clinical department simulation training, and joint AH supporting staff simulation training. Additionally, the integration of new technology such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI) could significantly improve the fidelity of training and clinical performance of the AH staff in the future. These lessons learned could benefit others who are also seeking to enhance their simulation training programs.
